Reynolds, Barnes Found Positive in Steroid Tests

World track and field record-holders Butch Reynolds and Randy Barnes have been suspended for testing positive for steroids and could miss the 1992 Olympics.

The International Amateur Athletic Federation, the sport’s world governing body, announced the suspensions Monday and said both athletes have been offered a hearing by The Athletics Congress, the U.S. national governing body.

If the suspensions are upheld, Reynolds, holder of the 400-meter record, and Barnes, the shot put record-holder, could face two-year bans. Suspensions of that duration would keep them out of next year’s World Championships at Tokyo and the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona.

The IAAF said recent tests confirmed that Reynolds tested positive for nandrolone and Barnes for methyltestosterone. Both substances are steroids.

The IAAF statement said:

“Randy Barnes was tested on Aug. 7, 1990, at the Malmo meeting in Sweden ... where he won the shot put event.

“The Huddinge Laboratory in Sweden revealed metabolites of the banned substance methyltestosterone, and a second analysis carried out on Sept. 25, 1990, confirmed their presence.

“The case was then investigated by the IAAF doping commission, who confirmed the positive result.

“On Oct. 24, the IAAF informed TAC of the result of the second test and requested TAC to note the suspension of the athlete in accordance with IAAF Rule 59 and to offer the athlete an opportunity of a hearing in accordance with the rules and procedures of the IAAF.

“TAC confirmed that this has been done, and the date of this hearing is expected to be fixed shortly.”

Reynolds, the IAAF said, “was tested on Aug. 12, 1990, at the Herculis meeting in Monte Carlo ... where he came third in the 400 meters.

“The Paris laboratory revealed metabolites of the banned substance nandrolone, and a second analysis carried out on Oct. 12, 1990, confirmed their presence.

“On Oct. 17, the IAAF informed TAC of the result of the second test and similar to the case(of Barnes) above, TAC have confirmed to the IAAF that Harry Reynolds has been suspended and offered a hearing, the date of which is shortly to be confirmed.”

Reynolds set the 400-meter record of 43.29 seconds at Zurich two years ago, and Barnes setthe shot put mark of 75 feet 10 1/4 inches last May 20 at UCLA.

Reynolds was quoted as saying he wasn’t concerned about flunking the test.

In Monday’s USA Today, Reynolds was quoted as saying: “Right now, there’s a problem with the ‘A’ sample. I’m not worried. This is crazy. There are some formalities to go through.”

Under drug testing rules, an athlete’s urine sample is divided into “A” and “B” samples. If the “A” sample is positive, the “B” is tested, with the athlete or a representative entitled to be present.

If the “B” also is positive, the athlete is entitled to a hearing. If the “B” is negative, the athlete is exonerated.

“We’ve had experts look at this,” Reynolds told USA Today. “It can’t be what they say it is.”

Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson recently finished a two-year suspension after testing positive for use of steroids following his victory in the 100 meters in the 1988 Olympics at Seoul. He was stripped of his world record and gold medal.